Binoo Joshi
The Centre is keen to devote more money and resources to Jammu and Kashmir to pace up development in the state , but a negative attitude of the state government in utilizing funds and meeting developmental targets proving to be a big hurdle .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi while announcing Rs.80,000 crore package for Jammu and Kashmir in November 2015 had told the state : “ This is just the beginning, you spend this much and the Centre’s treasuries are open forever to meet your needs in future.”
The point that Prime Minister made out of sheer love for the people of Kashmir , whom he is keen to make equal partners in the developmental and forward-looking agenda of the country , is that money was not a constraint .
The Prime Minister’s Development Package ( PMDP) was to build a new future for the state , devastated by floods and the widespread curse of violence . His thrust was on peace and progress and he knew that the State had the talent to transform its image from being a terror-hit Valley to the tourist –friendly place .
As the public representatives in the budget session of the state legislative Assembly have voiced it that the flood relief and rehabilitation is yet to start in some of the areas , clearly shows that the things have not worked according to the plan. There should have been no delay in the disbursement of the relief and the rehabilitation measures should have been in place by now. That has not happened .
The collapse of a huge chunk of the bund of river Jhelum near Lasjan in the outskirts of Srinagar city has offered yet another evidence of the casual approach in dealing with the works that pose a direct risk to lives of the people . The people and their lives have been taken for granted by the state authorities.
The government has ordered an inquiry . It is another sad state of affairs . There is no point in holding an inquiry where the basic problem lies with the poor work done by the officers in the first place. No one has been punished . Now, if the money is asked for yet again for the repair of the embankment and improving the quality of work, the Centre has a right to ask, “ where did the money given earlier go?”
Jammu and Kashmir government should consider that the money given to the state comes from the pocket of the honest taxpayer in the country and it has no right to squander the money the way it has been doing.
Centre cannot be faulted in asking , what parameters have been achieved in achieving the goals for which Prime Minister announced an unprecedented package . If the answers are negative , then the state should start introspecting because it is hurting the trust that the nation reposed in the authorities in J&K for making the life of J&K people better.